The Best Banana Bread [family recipe]

2 1/2 c. sugar
1 c. oil
1/2 c. melted butter (1 cube)
3 eggs
3 bananas, mashed
1 c. buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. almond extract
3 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 c. nuts (optional)


Cream sugar with oil and butter.  Add eggs and beat.  Add bananas,
buttermilk, vanilla and almond exract.  Stir in dry ingredients.  Bake
@ 350 for 45-60 min. (depending on pan size, larger pan, cook longer,
smaller pans, cook less).  Makes 2 large loaves or 5-6 mini loaves or
1 bundt.


Glaze


3/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. orange juice
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 tsp. butter


Boil all these ingredients until sugar is disolved. Poke hundreds of
holes in loaves when warm and brush or drizzle with glaze.

Peppermint Oreo bark

This treat is named 'Peppermint Oreo Bark' for 2 reasons: it looks like an Oreo and has a peppermint flavour and it contains Cool Mint Creme Doublestuf Oreos.

Here's what you'll need:
16 oz (1pkg) chocolate flavoured Candiquik/bark/dipping chocolate
12 oz (12 squares, or 3/4 pkg) white chocolate Candiquik &tc.
1/2 c crushed candy canes/starlight mints
8 crushed Mint Oreos
Peppermint oil (don't use water based flavourings!)

This recipe should fill a 9x13 pan (I used a 9 inch cake pan for about a third of this amount and it didn't quite fill it) . A cookie sheet will also work

Line the pan with wax paper

Melt half the chocolate according to the directions (just use a microwave!)
Mix in half the crushed Oreos, spead in a thin layer on the pan. Place in fridge until hardened (5-10 min)
Melt the white chocolate, stir in crushed candy canes, and a few drops of peppermint oil (a chopstick works well to catch a single drop at a time) and spread directly over the chocolate. Place in fridge until hardedned. Melt the remaining chocolate, mix in oreos, and spread across the white chocolate. Place in fridge till hardened, the break apart into small pieces.

Spiced Pumpkin Cake

1 package yellow cake mix
1 package (4-serving size) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup water
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg


Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe below)


Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat all ingredients, except frosting, in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed just until moistened. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes or until well blended.

Pour into greased and floured 13x9-inch baking pan.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack. Spread with Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting.

Frosting:

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1/4 teaspoon cloves (optional--also great with plain frosting)

1 pound powdered sugar (about 4 cups), beating until well blended

beat cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and cloves. add sugar gradually until well blended. spread on cooled cake.

This cake freezes well. Pop a few slices in the freezer for later!

Cookies ( a twist on the toll house)

If you want to be an angel of goodness too, just make these for your guy friends.

1) if you give 6 plates of them to someone, they will be gone in under 48 hours

2) don't forget the salt and baking soda. they will taste REALLY strange

3) if you overcook them or let them sit out a week, they are still edible ('slong as they aren't black). simply put some in a bowl, pour some milk over, and after about 3 minutes, eat with a spoon.

Ingredients:

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• about half a 4-serving package of instant vanilla pudding
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-2 large eggs
• mix-ins (2 recommendations below)

MIXINS:

up to 2 cups of chocolate chips, with or without pecans
OR
up to 1.5 cups white chocolate chips, 1-2 handfuls of craisins, and half a cup of chopped pecans. if you use a hand chopper, you can make the pecans very fine--I don't like the crunch of nuts, but they add a nice flavour




combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl

mix the butter, sugars, pudding, vanilla and egg(s) together (please tell me you have a kitchen aid! otherwise hello carpal tunnel)

add dry ingredients

stir in mix-ins

roll the cookies into teaspoon sized balls and place about an inch and a half apart on a baking stone or cookie sheet with parchment paper (easy cleanup)

bake at 350F for 12 min. Let cool on baking sheet/stone
bake 1-4 mins longer for crispy cookies